Prince William has barely started his stint with East Anglian Air Ambulance, but it seems he’s already preparing for what’s next: taking over from the Queen!
A royal rep confirmed to People Magazine that the father-of-two has already put a lot of thought into the role he will play when Queen Elizabeth begins to slow down her duties, and he picks them up in her place.
Speaking to People, a royal aide revealed that the 33-year-old is keen to put his focus into mental health services when he steps up – and he’s not alone.
His wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, has also pledged her time to the worthy cause, which is close to both of their hearts.
“Mental well-being is an area which both the Duke and Duchess and Prince Harry are interested in,” the royal aide said.
“It is an area which the Duke is starting to explore as to whether he can help in any way in that sector, while recognising that there are an awful lot of people doing a lot of great work around it already. So it is quite exploratory at the moment,” they added.
Children’s health is an issue extremely close to Kate’s heart.
But instead of waiting the full two years, Prince William has already made a number of low-key visits to mental health facilities and services around England to speak with depressed and struggling youth.
The Prince has reportedly made these visits in order to learn how best help out and to find out where the help is needed most.
One of those causes is helping young people who are dealing with the loss of a loved one – something which Prince William has held close to his heart since he lost his own mother at 15.
Speaking to The Sunday Times, the royal aide confirmed that Prince William’s past losses have helped him to communicate with those facing loss.
“When he spends time with them he finds that, partly based on his own experiences, he is able to connect deeply with them and help have a positive impact,” said the aide.
His wife is no stranger to mental health care, either. Kate has been working with facilities and services since her wedding in 2011, particularly with charity Place2Be, for which Kate is a patron.
“The Duchess has being doing work in children’s mental health for quite a while now. This is another aspect of the emotional well-being focus for them both,” the aide People.
